


Don't

by damnedifyoudo



Series: Matt and Kelly's Ultimate Playlist [4]
Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Best Friends, Casey and Severide are oblivious, Dawson's POV, F/M, Firehouse 51 as Family (Chicago Fire), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Molly's (Chicago Fire), Otis Approves of the Schemes, Pre-Slash, Scheming, Shay's POV, Two Shot, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:29:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26691454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damnedifyoudo/pseuds/damnedifyoudo
Summary: "Baby, baby, don't, don't just say you're leavingWhy don't you stay a little bit longerGot it going on and I just can't believe itThis feeling it just keeps getting stronger"The ladies of Firehouse 51 are about fed up with resident boneheads, Matthew Casey and Kelly Severide, and their excessive pining for each other. Led by Shay, they set out to fix that problem.
Relationships: Gabriela Dawson/Stella Kidd, Kelly Severide & Leslie Shay, Leslie Shay & Gabriela Dawson & Stella Kidd & Sylvie Brett, Matthew Casey & Gabriela Dawson, Matthew Casey/Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd & Kelly Severide, Sylvie Brett & Matthew Casey
Series: Matt and Kelly's Ultimate Playlist [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937713
Comments: 8
Kudos: 35





	Don't

**Author's Note:**

> Before we start, I wanna say how appreciative I am of the Sevasey fandom. Y'all have been so wonderful so far and I appreciate all your kind comments! I hope you like this one as well <3 
> 
> Inspired by the song "Don't" by Billy Currington (I promise the song choice will make more sense in the second part)

Leslie Shay was about fucking done with her two best friends – and roommates – making eyes at each other and not doing a damn thing about it.

Men could just be so damn oblivious. She didn’t understand how these two were so head over heels for each other and couldn’t see it at all. Well, tonight that was gonna change. Leslie Shay wasn’t going to stand for this any longer, so she brought the best reinforcements: the other three women of Firehouse 51.

Her former partner on ambo, Gabriela Dawson, was behind the bar and talking to Stella Kidd and Sylvie Brett. The four of them _would_ get the two bonehead officers of their department together by the end of the night, even if it killed them.

Okay, well, maybe it wouldn’t go that far, but they were gonna try their damn hardest to make it happen. The rest of the ladies (and honestly, all the men in the firehouse as well) were up their eyeballs in “Casey and Severide pining” and they were fed up.

Gabby and Casey dated once, as did Stella and Kelly, so you would think there were weird conflicts of interests there, but there were none. There was a reason those relationships didn’t work out – okay there were two, one being Casey and Severide being in love with each other and also Stella and Gabby caught feelings for each other as well, so they’re dating now.

So, everything is fine, really. More than fine, because Leslie freakin’ Shay is surrounded by a lot more queer people than she ever thought she would be at a firehouse.

They had hatched a plan last shift in the privacy of the ambo. Dawson and Brett were going to try and talk to Casey about his fears and why he was scared to start anything with Severide. They all knew it was probably his homophobic, piece-of-shit father that was making him hesitate, but they figured if he could talk it out with two people close to him, maybe he would finally feel ready enough to go for it.

Stella and Shay were to talk to Kelly. He had had feelings for Casey for _years._ Before Casey moved in with them, that’s basically all Shay would hear about from Kelly. _Matt did this, Matt did that,_ and Shay always wanted to say “yes, Kelly, I was there,” but she was trying to be a supportive friend, so she kept her mouth shut. Hers and Stella’s job was to tell Severide not to give up hope and that Casey would come around eventually.

Ultimately, it would up to Casey to make the first move because Severide never would. He didn’t want to make a move if Casey wasn’t ready.

Shay had been talking with Otis but stopped paying attention to what he was saying. It was show time. She caught Stella’s eye over at the bar and beckoned her over.

“Shay? Earth to Shay? Are you even listening to me?” Otis asked, waving his hands in front of her face.

“Honestly Otis? No.” Shay responded. “The gals and I have very important work to do tonight.”

Otis crossed his arms. “Ah, does this have anything to do with why Dawson asked me to cover the second part of her shift tonight?”

“Yes, but trust me you’ll approve,” Shay leaned in closer to Otis. “We’re trying to push the two boneheads to actually start dating.”

Otis threw his hands up and leaned back in his chair. “Oh, thank God. Their longing looks have always been ridiculous, but I think lately it’s somehow been _worse_.”

“Oh, it definitely has been,” Shay said as Stella walked up to them. “Ever since princess charming here and queen shit at the bar over there got together, I think they realized they could also have that, if they would just _stop being stupid._ ”

“Agreed, one-hundred percent,” Stella said. “Gabby and I didn’t fuck around, we just said, ‘oh hey we like each other’ and started dating. But of course, it can’t be that easy for them.”

“Well, Casey’s dad-“Otis started to say.

“Yeah, we know,” Shay nodded. “That’s why Dawson and Brett are gonna talk to him. Try to get him to open and up and realize that his dad is gone and can’t hurt him anymore and that we all support and love him no matter what.”

Otis smiled. “Alright, ladies. That sounds like a good plan. I’ll go and take over for Dawson and you all can get to work.”

Shay and Stella both smiled back at him. “Thank you, Otis,” they said simultaneously. They then both gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Otis blushed. “Okay, okay, I love you guys, too. Now get to it!” He joked as he walked to the bar.

Stella and Shay spoke in hushed tones while they waited for Brett and Dawson to come to them.

“Alright, you remember the gist of what we’re gonna tell Kelly?” Shay asked Stella.

“Yeah, we’re gonna let him know that, hey, we know waiting for Casey to come around sucks, but you gotta be patient. He’s got a lot of issues to work through, but he _will_ come around eventually. We’ll tell him it’s, uh, _women’s intuition_ or something. He’ll buy that,” Stella explained.

Shay laughed. “Oh, he definitely will, he knows better than to question us.”

“Who, Severide?” Dawson asked as she walked up with Brett, giving Stella a quick kiss on the cheek. “Yeah, he does. We’ve all put that man in his place enough times for him to never question us again.”

The ladies all laughed.

“But seriously, you two know that Brett and I have the harder job tonight right? Matt can be a tough cookie when it comes to his feelings,” Dawson said.

“We know,” Shay replied. “And so does Otis now so don’t worry, your actions will not go unnoticed.”

“Good,” Brett said, downing the rest of her drink that she had brought over. “Because we’re singlehandedly about to save Firehouse 51 from ever having to deal with their pining again.”

“You mean, like they’re doing right now?” Stella asked, pointing to where Casey and Severide were sitting. They were both smiling big and clearly were flirting up a storm. Well, clear to literally anybody else in the bar but maybe not to them.

“Oh my God,” Shay groaned. “They’re literally the worst.”

“And that’s exactly why we’re doing this,” Dawson said, rolling her eyes playfully. “C’mon Brett, let’s go get Casey.” The two women linked arms and went over to Casey and Severide, quickly pulling Casey away. Now Severide was alone, and Stella and Shay could get to work.

Stella and Shay smiled at each other before walking over to him.

He smiled at them. “Hey, there’s my two favorite ladies. What’s up?”

“We gotta talk to you about something, honey,” Shay started.

Kelly’s face fell immediately. “What’s wrong? Is somebody sick?”

“Oh, no Kelly, everything is fine. This is a good thing,” Stella assured him.

He smiled again. “Oh, okay. What is it then?”

“It’s about your feelings for Casey, honey,” Shay said. “We just wanted to talk to you and see where you’re at and if you’re feeling okay.”

“We just want you to be able to talk to people who care about you, we know it’s tough sometimes,” Stella added, covering his hand with her own.

Kelly immediately closed off and pulled his hand away. “There’s nothing to talk about,” he insisted.

Shay and Stella both sighed.

“Okay, fine, just listen then, you big baby,” Shay snapped. She expected this, but not quite this early in the conversation. She was going to have to get a little pushy.

“First off, I don’t know how many times myself and Stella have told you that talking about your feelings will not make you any less of a man. It’s healthy to talk about your feelings and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise,” Shay explained, gesturing wildly.

“Second,” Stella took over, “You need to know that your feelings for Casey are nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone here-“

“I know it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Kelly said, cutting her off.

Stella huffed. “Okay, I’m glad, but don’t interrupt me. You’re the one who said you weren’t gonna talk. Anyway, we love you,” she pointed to herself and Shay. “Everyone here loves you,” she gestured to the whole bar. “And we all want you to be happy. You aren’t happy right now ‘cause you’re mopey all the time.”

“And we know that sucks, okay?” Shay chimed back in. “We know it sucks waiting for Casey to come around. He has a lot of issues to get over. But you can’t give up hope, honey. Call it _women’s intuition_ or whatever, but we know he will come around eventually, you just gotta wait a little. Okay?”

Kelly was silent for a moment, looking like he was contemplating their words. He put his hands back on the table and opened his palms in invitation. Shay and Stella both grabbed a hand and squeezed.

“We love you, ya big hunk,” Shay said.

“I know,” Severide said quietly. “Do you guys know what Dawson and Brett needed to talk to Casey about?”

Shay had to try really hard not to crack a smile, but she managed. “Nope!”

“Have no idea,” Stella agreed convincingly.

“Okay,” Kelly seemed to accept their answers. “You guys want to stay for a beer?”

“Of course,” Shay agreed, giving his hand one last squeeze.

Shay looked over at Dawson, Brett, and Casey. Based on all their facial expressions, things seemed to be going according to plan.

_Success is within reach._

~~**~~

Gabby watched Casey and Severide with interest as she listened to Brett and Stella chat in front of her. Man, they were really flirting up a storm tonight. All the more reason the plan needed to go down _tonight._ She hoped Otis would come and take over the second half of her shift like she asked, or Brett would be on her own with Casey. That would be tough to do alone.

Gabby had no regrets over her relationship with Casey. It was nice while it lasted, but soon enough they realized they weren’t right for each other. Well, really it was Gabby who realized Casey’s heart wasn’t in it. At first, she was angry in typical Dawson-fashion, but then when she realized _why_ Casey’s heart wasn’t in it, she wasn’t so mad anymore. Honestly, who _wouldn’t_ fall in love with Kelly Severide when he smiled at you the way he smiles at Casey?

Gabby was the one who broke it off, telling Casey she loved him and would always value their friendship, but a romantic relationship just wasn’t working. He seemed almost…relieved when she ended things. It was clear then that he was just trying to get over Severide by dating someone else and yes that _did_ make Gabby feel a little used, but ultimately, she wasn’t mad. Probably because ending that relationship led her to Stella, so really, no harm done in the end.

Who knew there were so many LGBT+ people in the firehouse? She thought it was just her and Shay.

Honestly, she should have seen the attraction between Casey and Severide sooner. In retrospect, it was really obvious. They did pretty much everything they could together and were constantly giving each other heart eyes and affectionate pats on the shoulder or back. (“Extremely gay behavior,” as Shay would say).

She was not the orchestrator of tonight’s plan, that honor went to Shay, but she was very glad she would have the opportunity to talk to Casey about his feelings for Severide. He had never actually told her, he _had_ let it slip to Brett once, but also, she wasn’t blind. Not anymore that is. However, she did know about Casey’s issues with his dad and she wasn’t afraid to make him confront that so he could eventually (hopefully) overcome those insecurities.

“Shay is supposed to talk to Otis, right?” She asked her girlfriend and her best friend.

“Yeah, babe, and I’m sure he’ll be supportive,” Stella confirmed.

Gabby looked over and saw Shay pointing at Stella, calling her over.

Stella smiled. “See? It’s all good, I’ll go over and see what’s up,” she said. “We’ve got this ladies, this is a solid plan that resident bad-ass PIC Shay came up with. We’re gonna get those two goons together if it’s the last thing we do.” Stella stood up, giving Gabby’s hand a quick squeeze before walking over to Shay and Otis.

“We got this, Dawson,” Brett assured her. “With both of us talking to Casey, there’s no way we can’t get through to him. He trusts us.”

“I know he trusts you, Brett, it’s me I’m worried about,” Gabby admitted.

“Dawson!” Brett exclaimed, punching her in the arm lightly. “Don’t doubt yourself so much. Of course he trusts you. You were one of the first people he told about his dad.”

Gabby shrugged. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just hope he’s willing to open up. The whole plan rides on this.”

Brett nodded excitedly. “He will! Because it has to work. They’re both moping around alone when they could be happy together instead. I think the universe is on our side.”

Gabby smiled at her best friend. “I love your optimism, Brett.” Just then, Gabby saw Otis walking over. “Oh, thank God, here comes Otis.”

“See? It’s gonna work out,” Brett said smiling widely.

“Otis!” Brett squealed as he approached. “You’re the best!” She got up and hugged him tight.

Otis made an “oof” sound. “Alright, alright, thank me when this actually _works._ ”

“Seriously, Otis, thank you,” Gabby said, patting his arm as she came out from behind the bar.

“You’re welcome,” Otis half-chuckled as Brett finally released him. “Go get those clowns, ladies.”

Gabby and Brett both laughed as they walked over to Stella and Shay, arm-in-arm.

“…he knows better than to question us,” Gabby heard Shay saying as her and Brett walked up.

“Who, Severide?” Gabby asked, giving Stella a quick kiss on the cheek afterward. “Yeah, he does. We’ve all put that man in his place enough times for him to never question us again.”

Everyone laughed.

“But seriously, you two know that Brett and I have the harder job tonight right? Matt can be a tough cookie when it comes to his feelings,” she continued.

“We know,” Shay replied. “And so does Otis now so don’t worry, your actions will not go unnoticed.”

“Good,” Brett said, unlinking arms with Gabby to down the rest of her drink that she had apparently brought over. “Because we’re singlehandedly about to save Firehouse 51 from ever having to deal with their pining again.”

“You mean, like they’re doing right now?” Stella asked, pointing to where Casey and Severide were sitting.

They were flirting. A lot. They were so hopeless.

“Oh my God,” Shay groaned. “They’re literally the worst.”

Gabby nodded. “And that’s exactly why we’re doing this,” she said, rolling her eyes playfully. “C’mon Brett, let’s go get Casey,” she said, linking arms with Brett once more. They walked over to Casey and Severide, leaving Stella and Shay to swoop in later.

“Hey, Casey!” Brett said cheerfully as they walked up to the two officers. “Let’s chat. Over there.”

Casey and Severide both looked at them, confusion on their faces.

“O…kay,” Casey said hesitantly. “Why?”

“You’ll see! Sorry, Severide, we gotta steal him for a bit. Thanks, have a good night, bye!” Brett blurted out quickly, linking her other arm with Casey’s and essentially dragging both people with her to another part of the bar.

“Real smooth, Sylvie,” Gabby whispered in her ear.

“Sorry!” Brett whisper-yelled back. “Your doubtfulness got to me! But it’s fine, we got this.”

“What’s going on with you two? What is this about?” Casey questioned as he sat down at the table they had gone to.

“We need to have a chat,” Gabby said, sitting down opposite him.

“Yeah, Brett here already said that,” Casey huffed, seemingly annoyed already. “I don’t understand why it had to be now; I was talking to Severide.”

Gabby rolled her eyes. “Yes, we know. This has to do with Severide.”

Casey’s face got serious and he clenched his fists on top of the table. “What? Is something wrong with him that he’s not telling me?”

“No, Matt,” Gabby softened her voice, using his first name to show she was serious. “He’s fine.”

“Casey, we want to talk to you about _you_ and Severide. Specifically. Your relationship,” Brett said, sitting down next to him.

Casey got even more defensive. “What about it?” He said, trying but failing to keep his voice from rising in pitch.

“Casey, c’mon,” Brett replied. “You’ve told me what your feelings are. And Dawson here isn’t blind.”

“It’s okay, Matt. I know you’re in love with Severide. And I’m not mad at all. I care about you,” Gabby then pointed between her and Brett. “ _We_ care about you, and we want you to be happy.”

“But we also know you’re apprehensive and why,” Brett continued.

Casey was silent for a second. Then he sighed. “My dad.”

“Yes, your dad,” Gabby repeated. “You told me a long time ago that he was extremely homophobic, and I’m so sorry that you had to grow up thinking you were wrong for being bisexual.” Gabby stopped. “That’s what you are, right?”

Casey nodded slowly. “Yeah, I suppose I am.”

“It’s okay, Matt, so am I. You aren’t alone here,” Gabby grabbed his fist and uncurled it so she could hold his hand. “We may not have worked out, but I don’t hold any resentment. I’m happy with Stella now and I want you to be happy with Severide.”

“Your dad can’t hurt you anymore, Casey,” Brett reminded him. “There’s nothing wrong with who you are. You’re happiest with Severide so you should be with him.”

Casey smiled a little. “Okay, guys. Thanks for the support. It was…” he paused and took a breath. “hard, growing up. I mentioned possibly liking another guy _once_ and I never made that mistake again.

Gabby and Brett both got up and hugged him tight. “I’m so sorry, Casey,” Brett said, patting his head. “You never should have been made to feel like that, it’s awful.”

“The important thing is that know I have the support of my family behind me,” Casey replied, looking between the women.

“That’s right, Casey,” Gabby said, giving him one last squeeze. “Now, go get your man. But don’t feel rushed. Take things at your own pace.” She gently nudged him out of his seat and back towards Severide.

“And send the other gals back to us please!” Brett called out as he walked away. “Gabby Dawson, we did it!” She said after Casey was out of earshot.

“Hell yeah, we did!” Gabby agreed, doing a fist pump.

“Friends! And girlfriend!” Stella said loudly as she walked up with Shay. “I think we did _great_ tonight.” She planted a quick kiss on Gabby’s lips, who grinned in response.

“Ladies, I think we just saved 51. They better bow down to us when this works,” Brett giggled.

“Don’t worry, since I live with them and everything, I’ll keep you all updated,” Shay said. “But yes, I am sure that worked. Congrats to us and a preemptive congrats to the future happy couple.”

“Here, here!” Gabby shouted and all the ladies whooped. “Otis, a round of vodka shots for us, please!”

“Coming right up!” Otis called back, smiling.

As the women of Firehouse 51 celebrated, Gabby spared one last glance at Casey and Severide. They looked happy. And she hoped it would stay that way.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you all so much for reading, hope you enjoyed!
> 
> there will be a second chapter to this that involves the main action of our favorite dumbasses actually getting together. I've already started writing it, should be out soon! 
> 
> also a note in case anyone is confused: the reason the first part in Shay's POV switches between saying "Kelly" and "Severide" is because she tends to refer to him as both interchangeably, so I tried to reflect that in the writing. 
> 
> also also, idk why I decided Stella and Gabby should be a thing, it just came to me because why not? see Ron Swanson "I can do what I want" meme
> 
> thank you again! follow on tumblr @eddiediaz-buckley
> 
> Join the newly created One Chicago discord! https://discord.gg/vBGaJx2


End file.
